I have been running kernel 2.4.21 with ALSA 0.9.4 and nvnet from the driver package 1.0-261 and have had no problems.

I then compiled the 2.4.22-pre2,3,4 kernels and installed the same (recompiled) versions of the drivers. The nvnet works well and ALSA works but not together! I get about 10 seconds of audio while downloading and then XMMS quits and hangs and nvnet becomes un-usable. No messages in /var/log/messages related to the problem. Kernel 2.4.21 doesn't have the problem.

If I unload the nvnet module and reload it, I can restart the network. Audio will work after I unload nvnet too. The audio/nvnet mess-up only occurs with both XMMS (or mpg123) playing and nvnet active downloads. Using the audio in xawtv to watch tv doesn't cause the failure. hmmmmmmmm ...

Anyone else seen similar issues with the kernel 2.4.22-pre series? Suggestions?

No, I hadn't tried the acpi=off on the boot line but I was using pci=noacpi. Figured that would get the acpi issues out of the way but .... it apparently didn't. I just rebooted with acpi=off switch and you were absolutely right - the system now appears to run ok.

I had upgraded to ALSA 0.9.5 and was having the same issues as with 0.9.4.

Clearly, the problem is the new acpi code in the kernel and it's interaction with the hardware. I'll just go ahead and change from pci=noacpi to acpi=off on the boot line.